TRAINING provider 3aaa Apprenticeships has gone into administration putting 500 jobs at risk nationwide. 

The firm, which has a branch on The Butts, in Worcester, collapsed on Wednesday, October 10 following a meeting with the Education Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), which is responsible for funding education and skills for children, young people and adults, terminating all its contracts with the firm. 

This also casts doubt on the apprenticeships of around 3,000 people throughout the country. 

The Department for Education has said it has passed the findings from its ongoing investigation into Aspire Achieve Advance Limited (3aaa Apprenticeships) to the police.

As reported in the Derby Telegraph, a statement issued on behalf of 3aaa’s directors said: “The directors of 3aaa (the company) have today requested receivership to administer the business arrangements of the company with immediate effect.

“This follows a meeting with the Education Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) on Wednesday, October 10, at which the ESFA confirmed there would be no further progress payments for learners on programme. This immediately removes the ability for the company to continue to operate.
“This affects the employees, apprentices and clients with whom 3aaa has a relationship and to whom each employer of the apprentice must now determine with whom they wish the apprentice learning should take place in the future.

“The new management had hoped that the ESFA would have allowed it to have transferred the business to another qualified operator or in the worst case arranged an orderly closure of the business.
“The ESFA has opted not to allow that to happen so, in these extreme circumstances, the directors have no option but to take this course following this ESFA decision.”

Peter Marples and Di McEvoy-Robinson founded the business more than ten years ago.

Previously, in 2014, the provider had been given an ‘outstanding’ rating by Ofsted inspectors.

Concerned apprentices, parents, or employers can contact the ESFA on a dedicated e-mail: 3.AAA@education.gov.uk.